African American Choral Ensemble

Celebrating choral music by and about African Americans

The critically-acclaimed African American Choral Ensemble preserves the legacy of African American choral music through transformative interpretations of this unique American art form.

Founded in 1975, the Choral Ensemble features a broad repertoire including spirituals, folk forms, traditional and contemporary gospel music, and formally composed works by African American composers.

The African American Choral Ensemble is a course offered for academic credit to all interested students through the Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies instructed by Raymond Wise, Ph.D., and a unit of the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University.

Learn how to join the Choral Ensemble

Raymond Wise, Director

Dr. Raymond Wise, Director of the African American Choral Ensemble

As a singer, dancer, pianist, composer, choral director, lecturer, and teacher, Raymond Wise, Ph. D., regularly works with orchestras, opera companies, and choral festivals throughout the nation and abroad. A native of Baltimore, MD., Wise began his musical career at the age of three, singing gospel music with his family singing group “The Wise Singers.”

Read Dr. Wise's full bio

Headshot of Janet Williams

My work as an assistant instructor with the African American Choral Ensemble was inspirational and instrumental in preparing me for my entire performance and teaching career—first as an international opera singer and now as a professor of voice.

Janet Williams, soprano, author, Professor of Voice, and Herman C. Hudson Alumni Award recipient